Gazelle project, team Blue

The goal of the Gazelle project for the Blue team was to develop the concept vehicle Koba and prove its feasibility. Market research and economic analysis were made. The mechanical characteristics for critical vehicle components have been validated by finite element strength analysis. Power consumption and energy production of different systems have been characterized using a Matlab / Simulink custom built simulation code.

The propulsion system of Koba has two electric wheel motors with a rated power of 3000W in normal operation and 6000W at maximum. Two tests were planned for the test bed to validate the systems and subsystems of the vehicle: the controllability test and engine performance test.

Our forecasts indicate that the vehicle has a curb weight of 600 kg. The study of a promotional tour for the product was simulated between the city of Dakar and Saint-Louis in Senegal. A distance of 259 km at a speed of 20 km/h over a period of 13h uses 3.5 kWh of energy. The conclusion of this study is that the course is feasible from an energy point of view and desirable to demonstrate the possibilities of the vehicle.